Base and socket for fluorescent lamps



Feb. 6, 1962 FIG. 3

In ven for Fri/2 KAZBERLA A;

3,020,393 BASE AND SOCKET FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Fritz Kalberlah, Bad Hamburg vor tier Hohe, Germany,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to Aligemeine Eicktricitats=Gesellschaft, Berlin-Grunewald, Germany Filed Aug. 5, 1954, Ser. No. 448,020 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 31, 1953 4 (Ilaims. (Cl. 24011.4)

In the art of lamp fittings or lighting fixtures, particularly in the manufacture of fittings for vacuum tube lamps or fluorescent lamps it has been found to be inconvenient that both the lamp base and the lamp socket consist of opaque material whereby the translucent portions placed in longitudinal direction of the fluorescent lamps are affected by an unfavorable shade.

For avoiding said disadvantage it is the object of the present invention to manufacture all the portions of the base and socket of the fluorescent lamp, which are situated in the path of light, of a transparent material. Modifications of the inventive idea are possible inasmuch as first the lamp base of the fluorescent lamp provided with base and socket is made of a transparent material. In this case it is appropriate to afiix the lamp base upon the glass tube by means of transparent cement. Moreover, a fluorescent lamp may be used in a socket all non-current-carrying portions of which are made of a transparent material. At last the socket will be mounted upon a socket support consisting of a transparent substance.

By way of example, several embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view of a fluorescent lamp and socket in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end viewof a modified lamp shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but embodying a modified lamp; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a still further modified lamp.

FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary longitudinal setcion-al view of a fluorescent lamp with a lamp base 1-7 and an electrode 11 having holding wires 12, 13 connected to two contact pins 14, 15. Said contact pins are fastened in the lamp base 17 which obtains a rigid connection with the glass tube 10 by means of inserted cement 16. A socket 18 for the contact pins 14, is fastened upon a socket support 19. Except for the necessary current conductors all components situated in the path of light are made of a transparent material, namely the lamp base 17, the cement 16, the socket 18, and the socket support 19.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the combined base and socket of the modification of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the lamp 10, base 17, and socket 18, partially in section. The use of translucent or transparent bases for fluorescent lamps together with sockets has shown that not simply any socket in this combination may be employed if the effect of lighting-up the fitting parts positioned in the direction of the lamp axis is to be obtained. it according to FIGS. 2 and 3 the diameter d of the upper end portion of the support 19 in relation to the diameter d of the lamp 10 is chosen small an annular face of the lamp will be effective, that means the light of the fluorescent lamp is free to radiate through said annular face and thus can be utilized for lighting-up of the darkened fitting parts situated in an 3,020,393 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 axial direction. If the socket 18 consists of a transparent substance too the light projecting axially through said socket can also be utilized for said purpose.

FIG. 4 shows a partial longitudinal sectional view of the lamp 10 with the base 17 which differs from the base 17 shown in FIG. 1 and is composed of a flat disk with an adjacent cylindrical portion. It has been experienced that the hitherto usual shaping of the base even when made of transparent material is not yet sufficient to produce a uniform lighting-up of the base. Such a lightingup will be achieved if the base 17 in accordance with FIG. 4 is approximately cup-shaped in such a manner that the disk-like portion gradually changes into the cylindrical portion of the base 17. The radius of said two portions amounts to values in the range from about 5 to 15 mms. The inner surface of the transparent base 17 may be provided with corrugations 27 of a prismatic shape, for instance pyramidal shape to impart to the base 17 a uniformly luminous appearance.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A base and socket structure for a fluorescent lamp having an elongated tubular glass bulb, comprising a base secured to each end of the bulb, two sockets positioned near said bulb to enable to suspend said bulb therebetween, the base and socket at each end of the bulb being removably interconnected, all portions of said bases and sockets that are non-current carrying being composed of transparent material including transparent cement securing each base to said bulb for the axial discharge of light from the tube interior substantially free from obstruction.

2. A base and socket, according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the base is greater than the diameter of the socket.

3. A base and socket according to claim 2, wherein the base includes a flat portion abuttable with said socket and an annular portion terminating flush with the external cylindrical surface of the tubular lamp.

4. A base and socket as claimed in claim 1, together with, a support for said socket, said socket being secured to said support, said support being composed of transparent material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,969,765 Spanner Aug. 14, 1934 2,204,362 Illian June 11, 1940 2,237,362 Rieman Apr. 8, 1941 2,374,497 Pophal Apr. 24, 1945 2,398,968 Singer Apr. 23, 1946 2,434,951 Netting Jan. 27, 1948 2,453,986 Greiner et a1 Nov. 16, 1948 2,497,545 Greiner Feb. 14, 1950 2,551,710 Slaughter May 8, 1951 2,561,954 Salneu July 24, 1951 2,659,834 Voreaux Nov. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,185 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1940 846,734 Germany Aug. 18, 1952 

